Who Says Shinigami Don't Exist?
by cherrichan13
Summary: Yoruichi enters my life...as a cat. Chaos unfolds, and my sanity is tested.
1. Who Says Shinigami Don't Exist?

I cannot see Hollows...keep that in mind. Inkheart and Bleach do not belong to me.

I don't usually do self-insertion, but this was a contest. Enjoy!

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I ran my finger along the dusty spines, the embellishment bumping against my skin as I searched for the book I wanted. Finally, I caught a glimpse of its gold embellished title among the sea of books. "Finally," I muttered to myself, wedging it out from between the massive volumes on either side. "Inkheart."

I made my way over to the overstuffed couch at the end of the towering row of shelves, plopping down with a sigh and cracking open the book. Apparently, nobody had read it in what must have seemed like eons, even though the book itself wasn't that old. But this wasn't really a surprise to me. Not many people had ever visited the old Karakura Town library in the first place, and since the new library had opened downtown, it had become a virtual ghost town.

Except for me. I loved it here. It was so quiet, so peaceful, so serene. Walking into the library from the hectic hustle and bustle of Karakura Town was like walking into another dimension. It was my favorite place in the world to spend a lazy afternoon.

I was jolted from my book and back into reality by the shriek of the librarian. My nerves buzzed with electricity as I sprinted through the maze of bookshelves, my copy of Inkheart tucked clumsily under one arm. I skidded to a stop in front of the checkout counter, panting. I took a minute to catch my breath; what I saw in front of me wasn't exactly what I would classify as an "emergency".

The librarian didn't even register my presence. She was too busy attempting to pull clumps of her sparse hair from her skull and climb backwards over the counter at the same time. She never taking her eyes off of the small black cat, which was purring comfortably from its seat on the counter.

Yeah. A cat. And this was no street-toughened, one-eyed, raise-the-hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck alley cat, either. I'm talking about the image of kitty-like adorableness, with a long swishing tail, a rather large pair of fuzzy ears, and big round golden eyes. I stepped forward hastily, an undoubtedly goofy-looking grin spreading across my face as I reached towards the cat.

"DON'T!" the librarian shrieked. I froze, the electricity fizzling in my veins as it fought to find a way out. The librarian's eyes were still glued to the little black cat. "It'll hurt you! Black cats are supposed to be the animal version of a martial arts expert. Like an animal Shinigami. It'll bite you, and you'll get rabies, and then I'll have to call an ambulance, and they'll bring you to the hospital, and you'll die, we'll all die, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" With this, she burst into tears.

I raised an eyebrow. had always known the librarian was crazy, but I had never realized she was _this_ crazy. I was now pretty sure that this was how she had scared so many of the avid readers of Karakura Town away. "Ummm…I'm gonna take the cat," I bundled the purring animal in one arm, "And I want to take this book; should you check it out before I go?"

A strangled gasp of fear broke through the librarian's sobs. "NO! Don't come near me with that devilish little monster. Don't even bring that book back. I don't want to even _touch_ it again. Nobody ever even comes in here anymore an…AHHH! LOOK! _LOOK!_ IT WINKED AT ME! THE HORRIBLE LITTLE MONSTER _WINKED _AT ME!" The librarian crumpled in upon herself, sobbing.

"Okaaay," I said slowly, backing towards the door. I felt kind of bad for her, but I was in no mental condition to figure out how to help. Besides, I had the cat. "In that case…I think I'm going to give you some time to deal with your fear of cats…bye." With one final push and a last glance at the still-hyperventilating librarian, I stepped out into the sun-drenched air.

"Whew," I said to no one in particular. "That was…chaotic. And kind of creepy." The little black cat mewed in agreement, blinking bright gold eyes up at me. _Wow, _I thought to myself, staring at the magnificent creature. _It's almost like he can…_understand_ me. Like he's almost..._human.

"Cherri!" A voice called cheerily from behind me. "What are you doing?"

I spun around quickly, the cat hissing in protest at the sudden movement. I was met with a penetrating indigo stare, burning with an intense passion and a warmth hidden just below the surface. "Rukia," I breathed, giving her a bright smile. She always seemed to manage to catch me by surprise. A shadow fell over her protectively, and I looked up. "…and Ichigo. Hi."

"Hey," he answered indifferently, giving me a slight smile. Then he noticed the expression on Rukia's face, one of deep concentration and even slight surprise. "Rukia?" he asked, brow furrowing in confusion. "What's that look for?"

She ignored him, as she often did. "Cherri," she began slowly. "Where did you get that cat?" Ichigo followed her gaze, his eyes widening.

"Oh, him?" I asked, shifting the cat's weight. "I actually found him in the library. You know, the old one? He must be a stray, he was just sitting there on the counter. It terrified the librarian to have a cat in there. So I took him." I carefully put my copy of Inkheart down on the pavement in front of me and held up the small animal. Apparently he didn't like this much, because he kept trying to squirm out of my grip, turning as far away from Ichigo and Rukia as possible. "Isn't he cute?" The cat gave up squirming. He wasn't winning.

"Uh, yeah," Rukia answered robotically. I was admittedly disappointed by her less-than-exciting response. She was barely even looking at me. She kept looking back and forth between Ichigo, more focused than I had ever seen him, and the little black cat. Even the cat had a rather serious expression, and it looked to me like he kept shaking his head. I sighed.

_There is something wrong with the world. My friends are having a moment with my cat._

After a few minutes, they were still staring at each other, and I was still standing there awkwardly. So I decided to break the silence.

"Oh, look, there are pies falling from the sky," I stated dryly.

No reaction.

"Rukia, there's a giant bunny behind you."

Nothing.

"Ichigo, Orihime's taking her shirt off in that clothing store over there."

Nada.

"And now there's a giant monster climbing out of the sewer over there that looks like it's going to eat us."

Rukia, Ichigo, _and _the cat looked up at this one. My cat squirmed out of my now-inattentive grip and jumped to the ground gracefully, looking like he was ready to claw his way through the nearest scratching post. Rukia pulled a **bunny-shaped candy dispenser **out of **nowhere**, and Ichigo started **clutching at his pants **in a very awkward way.I took a few steps back, shooting them all weird looks.

_My God, I'm standing with a bunch of freaks. Heck, if I told Ichigo Santa was coming, he may feel the need to take his pants all the way _off.

"Well, as disturbing as that reaction was," I told Ichigo and Rukia, who were now looking rather confused as the tried to find the supposed 'monster', "I'm gonna head home. It's starting to get dark, and besides, I think you guys are becoming a bad influence on my cat." I smiled and scooped the little black animal and my book off the ground. "Seriously," I laughed, "you guys know there are no such things as monsters, right?" The cat started purring again. I looked down at him, and did a double-take. I could have sworn he had just winked at Ichigo and Rukia.

Ichigo and Rukia laughed companionably, deciding to just go with the flow. "Hey, Cherri," Ichigo said suddenly, growing somewhat serious. "Do you really_ want_ that cat? Because if you don't, I'll take him. Yuzu and Karin would be thrilled." He reached forward, ready to take my new cat away from me. The little animal mewed sharply, blinking stubborn golden eyes.

"Nuh-uh," I said, pulling away. "Not so fast. I _do _want this cat. Look at him, he's so cute! But for the sake of Yuzu and Karin…" I tapped my chin, pretending to think. "I'll make a deal with you."

Rukia rolled her eyes, and Ichigo drew a hand over his face. I had been known to make "deals" before. "What is it?" he asked warily.

"As we all know," I began, "my mother absolutely despises cats. She thinks they're disgusting, because they step in a litterbox and then walk all over her house. _Anyway, _my parents left to celebrate their anniversary last night, and I have the house to myself tonight. But they're coming back tomorrow. They'll make me get rid of him anyway, so why not save me the trouble and come pick him up around noon tomorrow?"

"Sure," Ichigo smiled. He had probably been expecting worse. This was one of the most reasonable deals I had ever made. "The girls will be so happy." He said goodbye and took a few steps down the street, heading towards his house. "Coming, Rukia?"

"Bye, Cherri!" Rukia waved, following Ichigo. I waved and started walking in the opposite direction towards my house. The cat purred comfortingly, nuzzling closer to my chest. I smiled, glad that at least I got to keep him for one night.

*****

I glanced at the digital clock next to the sofa. It was only 11:00; Ichigo wasn't due for another hour. I had plenty of time to make a quick lunch. "Hungry, kitty?" I asked the round little ball of fur curled up next to me. He immediately unraveled himself and jumped up, heading towards the kitchen.

"Smart cat," I commented, following along behind him. I grabbed the can of cat food I had picked up the night before from the convenience store on my way home. I opened it and dumped its contents onto a plate, trying not to gag at the smell. I couldn't believe cats _enjoyed _this stuff. I set the unappetizing meal down on the floor, along with a bowl of water. "Here you go, kitty," I said, scratching him behind the ears. The cat looked at me like I was crazy.

"Yeah, yeah," I chuckled, turning back to the microwave, waiting for my meal to finish heating. I was used to being the crazy one. Not that I minded. It was more fun being crazy. You could get away with a lot more.

I pulled last night's leftovers out of the microwave. "Mmm, lasagna," I said to no one in particular, setting the steaming plate on the table before turning to the fridge to unearth a carton of milk. I turned back to the table, drink in hand, ready to enjoy my lunch. But the plate was spotless.

"Hmm." I picked up the plate. "I thought I had already heated up some lasagna. Didn't I, kitty?" the cat purred in what I could only imagine to be the way an amused cat purred. I scooped out some lasagna and heated it up again, leaving it on the table. After I had put away the leftovers, I grabbed a fork and…

There was nothing on the plate.

"Oh, something's up. I _know _I put lasagna on that plate."

"Of course you did," a commanding male voice stated matter-of-factly from behind me. "It was very good."

I screamed, spinning around towards the voice, my breath ragged. There was no one there except the cat, who was staring at me with a very serious expression on his face. "Who's there?" I yelled in an abnormally high and shaky voice. There was nothing more frightening to me than the idea of being attacked by something…or someone…I couldn't see.

"No one's here but us," the cat said steadily, still looking at me with his sharp golden eyes.

_What…the…FUCK?! Did that cat just _**talk **_to me?!_

"Did…you…but…cats…" I blabbered incoherently.

"Stop that," my cat snapped. I fell silent immediately. I was too shocked to do anything but obey.

_This is all waaay to weird. _

"Anyway," the cat continued, as if everything that was going on was completely normal, "Ichigo and Rukia will be here soon. I had better get going." The cat narrowed his eyes and began to glow. I blinked.

There was no longer a cat in my kitchen. In his place stood a tall, dark-skinned, naked woman. The woman flipped her glossy purple hair over her shoulder and began pulling various articles of clothing out from behind my refrigerator.

"What the HELL?!" I half screamed, half laughed. I was shaking. There was no way that this kind of shock overload was healthy.

The woman looked up at me as she pulled on a pair of skintight black leggings, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "What?" she asked. "You don't believe that I can change from a cat into a full-grown woman?"

She stared at me with intense golden eyes. The same intense, focused, golden eyes that my cat had. And in that moment, I realized with surprise that I believed her. The evidence was right there in front of me. This was the truth. There was nothing left to do but believe. "Wh…what's your name?" I asked shakily, sitting down at the kitchen table as the truth began to fully sink in.

"Yoruichi Shihouin," she answered as she finished getting dressed. She pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail, leaving only a few of the shorter pieces on the side free. She looked at the clock. "I've gotta get going. Ichigo and Rukia will be here soon, and I don't want to listen to them try and persuade me to go back to Kisuke's shop, because I won't."

"Uh-huh," I muttered. Even though I knew she was telling me the truth, I had given up all hope of understanding what was going on.

"Listen, Cherri," Yoruichi said. I turned my eyes up toward her. "Thanks for everything. Really. If you ever need some help, talk to Ichigo and Rukia. They're good kids. Tell Rukia to send for me. I owe you one." With a wink and a final baffling smile, Yoruichi leaped through my window and vanished. I sighed hopelessly. She was gone. I dropped onto the table, resting my head on my arms. Everything seemed like a dream.

A few minutes later, as I was desperately trying to regain a hold on my frazzled nerves, the doorbell rang. "Come in," I called shakily. I didn't have the ability to stand quite yet.

Ichigo and Rukia stepped into the kitchen. Rukia's eyes widened as she saw me slumped against the table. Ichigo's face hardened as he surveyed the room, and he stepped a little closer to Rukia, nudging her. Her eyes flicked up to him, and back to me. "What happened?" she asked me in what was supposed to be a shocked voice. Somehow, I didn't really think she was shocked; neither of them were. They both knew _exactly _what had happened, and they were _going _to give me an explanation.

I looked up tiredly from between my arms, not moving my head from the table. "The cat turned into a woman, a NAKED woman, said something about not wanting to see a dude named Kisuke, told me to tell you to get in touch with her if I ever needed help, smiled like everything that was happening was perfectly normal, and jumped out my friggin window. Do you guys have anything to say?"

Ichigo laughed.


	2. Lasagna at Last

Who Says Shinigami Don't Exist?

Chapter 2-Lasagna at Last

Ichigo was **still laughing. **

So Rukia punched him in the gut. He groaned.

"Fool," she hissed. "She deserves an explanation. At least we should give her that."

"Fine," muttered Ichigo, rubbing his now-sore stomach. At least he had stopped laughing. "Go ahead and tell her. I'm going to go see if I can find Yoruichi-san." He promptly started clutching at his pants. **Again.**

"Going to find someone doesn't require you to _take your pants off,_" I said extremely loudly. I had thought that was what he was doing, anyway. I could have asked a million questions instead of pointing that out, but that seemed like the easiest place to start when my head was still spinning.

Apparently this wasn't what Ichigo had been expecting me to say. "What the HELL?!" he shouted, jumping back and crossing his arms defensively in front of him. His face was bright red. "I'm NOT! What's WRONG with you?!"

"What do you mean what's wrong with _me_?" I retorted, my temper flaring. He seemed to set me off so much easier than anyone else did, presumably because he was such a pain in the ass. Or such an idiot, I couldn't decide which. "First, you, Rukia, and a cat start to believe in _ghosts, _and then that same cat starts talking to me, and then it turns into a person and jumps out my kitchen window, and you ask what's wrong with _me_?!"

Ichigo angrily opened his mouth to shout at me some more, but Rukia silenced him with a basilisk glare. "Enough, you two," she ordered, her glare flickering between me and Ichigo. I shuddered involuntarily at the ice in her eyes, and the corners of Ichigo's mouth lifted ever so slightly. He was obviously used to this. But I had never known Rukia could be so…_cold_. She was always so sweet and kind-hearted in school. Rukia ignored my revelation, still scolding Ichigo. "She doesn't know what you're doing, Ichigo. She can't _see_…go find Masako's room and leave your body in the closet. I don't want you to leave it here and scare her any more than we already have."

I could feel the blood draining from my face, and darkness started to gather at the corners of my eyes. I stood up, clutching at the table for support. "Leave…his…his…his…" My own voice sounded foreign in my ears. The darkness was threatening to en gulf me now. "His…body?" I croaked out weakly. I started to laugh, quietly at first, quickly escalating in volume until my high shrieks made even Ichigo jump back from the table.

He groaned. "Yeah, great plan, Rukia. That _definitely _didn't scare her."

Rukia was looking at me warily as I continued to cackle like a madwoman, but the ice had been replaced with a deep concern. "Masako? Are you…ok?"

The laughter started to subside and I gasped, beginning to regain my breath, and hopefully even a little of my sanity. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" My voice was still too high-pitched. Fake. "It's just…you said…his…hi body. You're kidding, right? _Right?_"

Rukia and Ichigo exchanged wary glances. "Uhhh…no, she wasn't kidding," Ichigo said, obviously afraid he would set me off again.

My nerveless fingers slid from the table. A rushing blur of black and orange was the last thing I saw before my entire world went dark.

*****

I opened my eyes, rubbing them groggily as I sat up and looked around my room. Everything was as it should be. I staggered out of bed and made my way over to the closet. I hesitated, and then slid the door open with clammy hands. No body. I heaved a sigh of relief.

_Was that all…real?_

I didn't know what to think. Maybe I'd understand things better after I took a shower. I grabbed a towel and shuffled out of my bedroom, turned down the hallway…

…And found myself face to face with Yoruichi.

_Ok…well, that answers _my _question. _

She was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, that annoyingly baffling smile still on her face. I could already feeling my mood heading south. "Hey, what's up, Masako?"

"Oh, nothing _unusual. _I'm just going to go take a shower." I stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door behind me. Yoruichi just laughed.

*****

Fifteen minutes later, feeling more refreshed but still just as confused, I walked into my kitchen, which was being used as a conference room. Ichigo, Rukia, and Yoruichi, all seated around the table, looked up as I came in. There was a steaming plate of lasagna in front of the last empty seat. I rushed towards it and sat down quickly. I hadn't realized how hungry I was.

"So, Masako," Yoruichi said lightly. "How's your day been?"

I glared at her. She still had that confusingly annoying smile on her face.

"Ok," Rukia took a deep breath, apparently steeling herself for what was coming next. "I'm sorry you got dragged into this, Masako. Really. However, you deserve to know what you're dealing with."

"Yes, I think I do too," I stated bluntly between mouthfuls of pasta. "So…who are you guys, really?"

Yoruichi sighed, but the smile never left her face. "Always the most difficult questions first."

Rukia glanced at Ichigo. "Ichigo, you used to be semi-normal once." I snickered. "Would you like to try to explain this to her?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, but leaned across the table towards me anyway. He glared at me, a faint glimmer of annoyance already apparent in his ember eyes. "Can you stop stuffing your face for a _minute _and listen to me?"

Yoruichi snorted. "Leave her alone, Ichigo. She's hungry, and she knows how to eat, just like I do." Yoruichi looked extremely proud of herself.

For some reason, I had a feeling that I wasn't being complimented. "Hey, the only reason I'm so hungry is because a certain _cat _ate my lunch." Now it was Yoruichi's turn to snicker. "Can we just get on with the explaining, please?"

"Right." Ichigo didn't look all that eager. "You know all those stories they told us when we were little about how a shinigami would come to take us away when it was our turn to die?"

I nodded. I didn't like where this was going.

"Well, they're not exactly true."

_No shit, _I thought to myself. "No shit."

"Hold on, we're still getting to the good part," Ichigo said. Rukia was starting to get fidgety. Yoruichi, on the contrary, still looked as happy as ever. "Shinigami _do _exist. The legends are just…wrong. That's not exactly what a shinigami does."

"Oh, yeah?" I retorted. "And yesterday I saw a pig fly by my bedroom window. He was wearing a pinwheel hat and said his name was Arnold."

Ichigo started to get angry. I was personally surprised that he lasted so long. "Can you just shut your mouth for TWO DAMN MINUTES so I can explain?"

"You mean so you can try and fill me with more crap?" I commented. Ichigo stood up angrily, his chair clattering to the floor behind him. I wasn't _trying _to make him mad, but it was just _so easy…_

"Stop that, Ichigo," Rukia demanded. "When I told you, your reaction was much worse. It was so violent." She shook her head mockingly. Ichigo scowled, and Yoruichi burst out laughing. I was glad that at least _one _of us was enjoying herself. Rukia turned to look at me, a careful expression on her face. "Masako, he's not lying. Shinigami are real."

"Oh really?" I snorted. "And what makes you think I'll _believe_ you?" For what seemed like the first time that day, Yoruichi stopped laughing and even her smile faded, her golden eyes fixed on my face.

"You should believe me," Rukia said slowly, "Because Ichigo, Yoruichi-san and I _are _shinigami."

A car pulled into the driveway.

_Great. Like this couldn't get any better. _


	3. Striped Hats & Wooden Clogs: Not Good

_Oh, crap._

Not many things were running through my head when I heard my parents pull into the driveway.

_I really need to learn to think on my feet. _

But even if I _could _think on my feet, what was I supposed to do with three supposed _shinigami _in my house? Especially when one was a guy and one was an older woman, neither of which my parents knew. My parents _might _be okay with the fact that Rukia was here, because they loved Rukia, but I wasn't supposed to have anybody over _at all _when my parents were away. So this wasn't exactly going to go well.

While I was sitting there stupidly thinking this through, Ichigo, Yoruichi, and Rukia were running around like maniacs. Or Ichigo and Rukia were, anyway. Before I knew what was happening, I heard the back door slam as Ichigo and Rukia ran out of the house, and felt something furry rub against my leg.

Yoruichi jumped into my lap, back in cat form. I looked around frantically for clothes to hide, but there weren't any. _Apparently _Yoruichi's clothes had morphed with her. I sighed in defeat.

_I should _really_ stop trying to understand what's going on. _

"Stick to the plan," Yoruichi instructed me.

I jumped. Her voice was surprisingly male. "I thought you werea girl!" I blabbered. "I mean…you _are _a girl. Why do you soundlike a guy?! You're a girl!"

Yoruichi made a strange huffing noise, which I could only assume was the cat version of a sigh. "Focus, Masako. The plan. Stick to the plan."

"The plan? What plan?"

Yoruichi huffed again. "I'm a cat, Ichigo's going to come pick me up…"

"Oh. Right. The plan. Okay. I can do that."

I heard the doorknob jiggling as my parents tried to unlock the door. You had to jiggle it a lot just to get the key to fit in. That meant my parents would be coming in the house any second. I could do this. As much as I hated to admit it, I was a very good liar. One last frantic glance around the room…no "shinigami" evidence.

_What does shinigami evidence even _look_ like, anyway? _

The door finally burst open.

_Show time. _

"Masako!" my mom called. "We're home!" She floated into the kitchen, a purse hooked on her arm, leaving my dad to stumble along behind her with the bags.

"Hi," I said calmly, forcing a smile. I began to pet Yoruichi just for something to do. I wasn't sure she liked it that much, but as long as she was going to play along, there wasn't all that much she could do about it.

She mumbled something in return, before turning to pull a low-fat high-fiber yogurt from the fridge. My dad, however, dumped the bags in the middle of the kitchen floor and came over to give me a hug, and was therefore the first to notice the cat. He leaned down in front of my chair. "Where'd you get the cat?" he asked, fondling Yoruichi behind the ears. Even _she _looked like she enjoyed that. I gulped opening my mouth to answer.

Before I even begun, my mother was shrieking. She had finally started paying attention to me, and to what was going on. It wasn't exactly a good thing, in my opinion. "You brought a _cat _in here? You know I hate them! The freakish little things are disgusting! Get it out of my house." Without another word, my mother went back to slurping down her yogurt. Apparently, she considered the "problem" to be resolved.

This _is why we don't get along._

Yoruichi merely flicked her tail, but I could feel her tensing up underneath my hands, and I didn't blame her. My mother could be cruel.

My dad glanced at her, his eyes hard. His lips tightened into a thin line, but he didn't say anything.

"I know, I know," I said quickly, hoping to keep myself out of trouble before I even got to tell my story. It wasn't worth it, anyway. "Ichigo's gonna come take the cat back to his house for his sisters. He just asked me to hold onto it for a night."

Yoruichi's claws dug into my leg, and I winced. I don't think she enjoyed being called "it". I hoped Ichigo and Rukia would show up soon.

"Too bad we can't keep her," my dad murmured wistfully. Yoruichi began to purr. My dad had always had a way with animals, and he had a soft spot for cats. He had had two of his own, but had chosen to give them up when he married my mother. I wasn't sure if that represented the very best part of love…or the worst.

Afterbeing stared down by my overly-perfumed mother for a good ten minutes, there was a knock on the door. I had never known the sound of bone against wood could sound so good to me. I jumped up quickly. Yoruichi leapt off my lap and sprinted towards the door, but not before rubbing up against my father's legs gratefully. He smiled sadly, watching her run after me, apparently not finding it strange that a cat I had had for only a night followed me around. I pulled the door open hastily, trying my best to stay calm. I still had a lot of questions, and Ichigo, Rukia, and Yoruichi still had a lot of explaining to do. I had every right to be freaking out.

"Hi, Masako-chan!" Rukia chirped happily, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Rukia really was laying it on thick. But then again, I was in no position to criticize, because I had fallen for it for all this time.

"Hey, Rukia, Ichigo," I greeted them in an upbeat voice. My shoulders were hunched over, and I looked up at the two from between my long bangs. Ichigo, hovering just behind Rukia, grinned at me wickedly. He could tell that I was freaked out from all that had happened in just an hour, and I knew Rukia could too, even if she wasn't showing it. My eye twitched. I would have liked to slap that grin right off of Ichigo's face, but I didn't have the energy, and I knew my parents were hovering. So I just picked up Yoruichi, who was watching the three of us with her usual amusement twinkling in her golden eyes, and handed her to Ichigo. "Here you are, Ichigo," I said in a forcefully cheery voice.

"Thanks," Ichigo said, taking her from my arms in a surprisingly gentle way for someone of his size and horrible temper. Rukia nudged him rather pointedly in the ribs, nodding her head towards me. I shivered involuntarily. For a just moment, I had seen the basilisk in her eyes. She was all business.

_Why can't Rukia just _pick _a personality? _

"Oh, by the way," Ichigo said rather awkwardly. If he hadn't had Yoruichi in his arms, he probably would have been scratching the back of his head, as per usual. "Rukia and I are…erm…we're going…out to lunch. Do you want to come?"

_I have never met a worse liar in my life. _

Rukia rolled her eyes, apparently thinking the same thing I was. I nodded and shouted back into the house that I was leaving. _I hate staying in the house when mom's home, anyway, _I thought as I stepped out into the sun. As soon as I shut the door, Rukia informed Ichigo matter-of-factly, "You're a terrible liar." Without another word, she turned and strode towards the street. I chuckled, following closely behind her.

"What?!" Ichigo snapped angrily, catching up with us.

Yoruichi jumped to the ground, padding alongside me. "Don't be naïve, Ichigo," she told him, laughter causing her voice to catch. "it's pretty obvious that you don't know how to lie."

"It's not all that easy!" he grumbled defensively. "Do _you _want to try?"

"I will," Rukia said. "Watch." Rukia's eyes were cold and flat, but I could swear I saw a glimmer of amusement. And…something else, something I couldn't place. But she kept it well hidden, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and looking him directly in the eye. "Ichigo, you are the smartest, coolest, most efficient and admirable being that I have ever encountered." She glared at him, silently daring him to challenge her ability.

I burst out laughing. Ichigo scowled at the ground and started walking again, his face a bright red. "Damn, Rukia," he growled. He was awarded with a proud smirk, and Yoruichi purred her amusement.

I didn't ask where we were going, and nobody offered up the information. Which was fine by me. I could use a few minutes to relax and forget all the weird stuff that had happened.

We walked in silence for a few minutes, and the wind tugged at my hair. I felt like a third wheel. Ichigo and Rukia walked close together, shooting angry glares at one another when they thought no one was looking. And…well, it was still hard to think of a _cat _as a person.

We veered off the street suddenly, making our way over to a small traditional-looking shop. I well-kept wooden porch led smoothly to the rice screen door, in pristine condition. It all seemed so serene and peaceful, as if nothing bad or weird ever happened here.

Hell, was I wrong.

The rice screen slid open with a bang. "Yoruichi-san!" A strangely dressed man exclaimed. "You've come back to me!" Yoruichi made a strange growling noise.

_Was this who she had been hiding from when she came to my house as a cat?_

"I'm still mad at you, Kisuke," she told him. " This just happens to be more important than you." Yoruichi shot into the blackness of the store, leaving the man to pull his fan from his robe.

_Kisuke. Yup, this is him._

His robe was a dull black, which he wore it open to reveal olive pajama-style pants and a matching loose shirt. He sported traditional wooden sandals and a black-and-white striped hat, covering his blond hair and hooding his eyes.

_Creepy. _

"So, Kurosaki-san, Kuchiki-san," his hooded eyes flickered to me, "This is Hashimoto-san, I presume?"

I looked up in surprise, my eyes searching his face. "How did you know that?"

He simply chuckled. "You'll learn soon enough, Hashimoto-san, that I have my ways. Now come in, all three of you, we have plenty to talk about."

* * *

**Auothor's Note: Wow, this chapter took me a really long time to put up. I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go with the story just yet. But now I have a pretty good idea, so hopefully the chapters will be coming faster. Reviews would be nice, I'd love to see what you think!**


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